22xx

That's implicit, isn't it? Even the most prototypical layout is really only loosely based on the actual reality. Some aspects will be spot on, others will be good, others ok, others a bit iffy, and some just wrong. All about the suspension of disbelief!

Not just one kind of overlapping, either. Locomotive liveries overlapped between 'periods', but it doesn't stop there. Those changes happened at different times and in different ways to livery changes on, say, coaching stock. And then there's the changes in wagons, signals, track, stations, buildings, staff clothing, etc, etc. There were, of course, many changes in how those things were designed and used. And that's without mentioning changes in the rest of the country through which the railway runs! The notion of 'periods' seems a bit arbitrary when you get down to the detail. Even if we concentrate on one narrow category, say locomotives (which seems to be a favourite), do we measure time by changes in liveries? Or in rebuilds? Or in the introduction of new kinds of safety equipment and other fittings? And so on ... What one person sees as an important change is hardly noticed by others. But all of these changes matter, because they're all part of the overall picture. The best common denominators are time and place.

Exactly so. Look at Modernism - a Victorian idea, replaced by Postmodernism, which itself is now on the way out. And of course there was nothing more Modern in the 19th century than steam railways! Growing up in the 70s, I always thought that 'Modern Image' meant BR corporate image, but I now get the feeling that in some ways that was an anachronism even then. Yes, there was continuing modernisation with the HST, etc, but it was a different world from the time of the Modernisation Plan in the 50s. 40 years on, Modern Image is a vague term at best. And what is the 'image' bit for anyway? (Isn't 'Modern' enough?) It all seems a bit superfluous. Time + Place is all you need.

A man lying down with a newspaper over his face is a nice touch, but I've seen one otherwise excellent layout that has half a dozen of them spread around the place. It looks as though there's a serial killer on the loose, with a quirky 'trademark'.

So how to run City of Truro without resorting to cliche or gimmick ... ?